2020: Reflections and the year ahead

I wasn't sure whether to write a reflection post this year. I feel grateful that I've got through 2020 and I know that, despite many challenges, I am one of the lucky ones - I still have my job, my children and no-one I know has died from Covid. But I know that many aren't so fortunate - they have lost jobs, homes and loved ones. I don't want to add to comparison-itis, something I mentioned in last year's reflection post.

I teach others about the importance of reflection so I have decided to go ahead: writing my thoughts helps me to process them and it is often enlightening to go back several months or even years later.

I started 2020 with a determined sense of purpose. Having gone through a tough few years, I was ready to get back into writing, presenting, and expanding my travelling experiences. In preparation, I renewed the family passports in January and earmarked Eurostar tickets - isn't hindsight a wonderful thing?! I also wanted to increase my work from home time. I did gain this at least in 2020 but I wasn't banking on two small children being with me for the majority of it!

Tentatively stepping into outside coaching

I want to tell you about my experience of outdoors coaching.

It may come as no surprise that I enjoy being indoors. Being curled up with a good book, wrapped in a blanket, a steaming hot chocolate next to me and the sound of rain lashing against the window pane is my idea of bliss (sadly since having young children this happens much less than I would like, apart from the rain bit as I do live in the UK!).

However, I have also always enjoyed the outdoors. I'm not a climber or hiker but have enjoyed many windswept walks across sea fronts; meanders around Penistone crags (invoking my inner Cathy); and cycle rides around parks filled with deer. 

When I was a child I used to collect acorns. I would fill the tops with water to make fairy cups and mush the remainder to make squirrel food or 'potions'. I've grown vegetables as long as I remember - some years I have even been successful. I take my yoga practice outside when the weather permits and I spend most weekends walking the children through the woods in the hope that the stillness rubs off on them.

I have long been aware of the benefits of being outdoors and I recently had the opportunity to find out how I could combine this with my coaching. I have previously held meetings and coaching sessions outdoors on campus before but it has been an afterthought - the weather was particularly nice or I was unable to find a suitable room. I decided to find out how I could coach outdoors with intention. 

I'd been trying to attend Claire Bradshaw's Outdoor Coaching programme for several years but couldn't logistically make it happen. An unexpected benefit of the pandemic has meant that I could finally attend - albeit virtually. 

Over the three week course, I was able to reflect on the different types of outdoor space and the physical, emotional and cognitive effects it may have on both myself and those I coach. I considered the impact of coaching while being apart - over the phone or via online meetings. I discovered how the environment plays an active, rather than a passive role. Importantly, I learned about the extra requirements needed when contracting and thinking about the practicalities - we don't want to be shivering with cold or worried about falling when we should be focussed on listening and thinking!

While the course did open my eyes to just how much extra work and consideration goes into coaching outdoors, it has whetted my appetite to keep learning more about it and include it in my toolbox of skills. Since then I have attended a Street Wisdom event which I may blog about next. I have also presented my experiences to the coaching community within my workplace. With social distancing making being in a close space far from ideal, this outdoors coaching may just have legs*.

Would you consider being coached or having meetings outside? Perhaps it's something you do already? If so, what was it like?

*I'm so sorry I couldn't help myself!

When stationery becomes a sign of optimism and hope

Have you bought a diary for the upcoming academic year? I've seen on social media people saying they aren't going to bother. Mine arrived last week. 

When you work in education it can feel like you get chance to start fresh twice, not only in January but also in September. I prefer the September one - it comes with snuggly jumpers, crisp walks and without the barrage of 'sort your life out this second' adverts.

September brings with it a new academic year with its fresh Term 1. This often goes hand in hand with a new diary, perhaps a new set of pens too. For the last few years I have used the bullet journal system and moved from Hemingway’s favourite, the Moleskine, to Leuchtturm for the dots, colours and slightly wider pages. This year I am trying out the Ottergamis dotted notebook. It’s thicker, has templates (not a deal-breaker) and has a cute otter logo on the front (this possibly is a deal breaker). It is a thing of beauty and has gorgeously thick paper. Unfortunately, I’ve just found out it doesn’t have page numbers.

Anyhow, perhaps I am being naively unrealistic in buying a new diary for the 20/21 academic year when the 19/21 still has quite a few empty pages. I’m not quite sure why they are so empty when I was actually busier than before. I didn’t think that was possible. This whole ‘going back to work’ business sounds ridiculous (and insulting) when I, and many like me have been working doubly hard to support our students while home-schooling at the same time - and feeling like we’re doing neither well enough. 

Perhaps it feels safe to carry on with same routines of buying stationery to see in the new academic year. There’s safety in traditions. This year it feels brave and optimistic to say I will carry on - despite everything this year has thrown up regarding work, relationships and health. For now, I am in the fortunate position of being in a new job with a number of opportunities in front of me. 

This year was going to be the year I found myself after having my two children. I arranged passports so we could travel. I seriously considered world schooling when my job prospects didn’t look promising. I was determined. I was going to coach, do yoga etc. Then the pandemic hit. I got sick. I obviously don’t know if it was the dreaded COVID but it was incredibly frightening. Luckily, I recovered and found that while it was incredibly stressful trying to work and look after two small children there were numerous positives; e.g. not being stuck on the motorway worried I was going to miss the after-school childcare pickup. 

Now we have to return. I’m trying to phase it in slowly as my children don’t like changes in routines. Despite still waking up at 5 or 6 every morning, I know I’m going to miss mornings not being too stressful and having all my meal-times with my children. I’m concerned about them getting ill and, besides the obvious worry about their health, the impact this has on everything else. 

One thing I am looking forward to though is being able to hear myself think!  

What is going to be different for you in the next few months? What are you doing to prepare for it? Feel free to show me your new stationery pictures!

Taking responsibility as an educator during Mental Health Awareness Week

It's Mental Health Awareness Week.

Staff and students within the Higher Education sector are facing pressure like they've never known it before. In timely fashion on Monday this week, Universities UK launched an updated version of StepChange - a framework for what mentally healthy universities look like. Mental health is something to be preserved all year round not just for once a week and I think it's a good step that underlying structures are now being considered.

Even though we aren't yet quite sure whether we have escaped relatively unscathed (I imagine not many of us have) we are already pondering what next term may look like and how we might support our staff and students in what has already become an overused term - the 'new normal'. I'm hoping it will be more personalised, more flexible and more inclusive.

Despite much being out of our control, there is still plenty within it. Therefore, we all have a responsibility for ourselves and for others in our care. It may not be perfect, far from it, but as Brené Brown says 'we are doing the best we can with the tools we have'.

Some of what I'm doing for others:

• I'm creating workshop material that I hope is sympathetic to people's circumstances; e.g. they don't have to worry about when to feed their children as my workshops aren't live and therefore don't clash
• I've extended all deadlines where possible
• I'm providing free mindfulness workshops and recordings
• I'm offering free coaching to work colleagues

My local woods which I can't currently visit. 

They are the inspiration for one of my mindfulness exercises.

Some of what I'm doing for myself:

• Switching off at weekends and spending time with my kids in the garden
• Recognising when I'm getting frustrated at people's emails and stepping away till I'm calmer
• Being kind to myself - there's only so much I can do in my circumstances
• Allocating time for my yoga teacher training. I'm enjoying seeing the links between this and my coaching and teaching practices.

What about you? How are you acknowledging your own mental health and that of your colleagues and students?

Working from home while looking after our children and our well-being

This is a post for all the academic and librarian parents who are currently working from home, home-schooling the kids and keeping the house from becoming dangerous and unsanitary, while doing their best to look after their own mental health.

I keep receiving marketing emails asking me what I'm doing with all my free time?!

I suspect their target audience aren't working from home, home-schooling, and looking after a toddler and cat - the latter who still hasn't got the memo that 5.30am is not a good time to miaow for breakfast!

Naughty Loki!

So what are you doing to stay sane while you try not to be bitter about those who complain to be bored? Such little imagination! Personally, I would be reading all the things, baking all the things, becoming fluent in French, fixing up my garden and planning my adventures for when Covid-19 (also known as 'all this stuff') is no longer a massively disrupting force in our lives.

Instead, this week I am mainly holding back-to-back formative assessments via Skype, while my 5 year old argues that he is the teacher and will take the register (he's already told me the passcode for the school's reception!).

So here are a few tips on keeping your cool:

Go easy on yourself and everybody 

Your kids will be anxious, as will your students and yourself. It's an unusual time with lots of uncertainty. Do what you can to maintain some normalcy. Reassure them. With regards to teaching, it can take a lot of time and skill to develop fantastic online courses so be kind to yourself and just focus on the essential learning outcomes. The bells and whistles can be added a bit later. Can the activity be changed? Does it really have to be synchronous?

Let it go

Yes, there are selfish people stockpiling formula and toilet rolls. Yes, there will be people emailing you to say they are frustrated as they've had to deal with changed assessments and are worried about loved ones while you want to say, erm, hello. But - we don't have control over other's actions and feelings, only our own. At some point, unless we can do something directly about it, it's best to focus on the good that people are doing.

Find a routine that works for you

For me, I am chunking appointments and everything else is working on the premise of little and often. I'm currently: writing a chapter, an article, changing the way I teach and providing support for people on the courses I run. By fitting something from all of these into my calendar, even if I only manage a small fraction, I am still moving forwards on everything. Others may find that doing a day on and a day off works better, perhaps alternating with a partner if one is available. There are many factors to take into consideration, from the age of your kids to who has wi-fi priority, so it may take a while to find a rhythm.

Get some fresh air/exercise (ideally both) if you can

For some this will be easier than others. I'm lucky that I have a garden, although it's in a sorry state, so I can hang my washing out, plant some seeds and blow bubbles with the children and we can all blow off some steam. Social distancing can still involve a run or a walk outside as long as we stay away from people and wash our hands thoroughly, although I haven't done this yet. Additionally, there are plenty of free yoga, HIIT and other exercise videos freely available on YouTube. I like Yoga with Adrienne and The Body Coach (in small doses) and the kids like Cosmic Kids and Jump Start Jonny.

Use all media mindfully

Like many others, I was avidly listening to the radio, watching the news and following social media for updates. I felt myself getting tense, scared and crying occasionally. This week has been so busy with the kids and the assessments that I've barely had time to look. Social media has long since been my way of keeping in touch since I had children so I won't be logging off; however, a little recalibration is very useful to ensure we spend time looking at what is helpful to us or where we can be of use to others. 

Ultimately, this is going to be our new normal for a while. The easier we can make it for ourselves  and those around us the better it will be.

What's your approach? What are you doing to look after yourself?

Being organised when there are multiple demands on your time

I recently wrote a blog post on tools I use to keep organised. It was one of my most popular posts so, keeping with a theme, I thought I’d share with you how I make the most of time. Take from it what you find useful and ignore the rest.

I’ve read we all have the same 24 hours as Beyoncé. That, of course, is true but most of us tend to live very different lifestyles and time can feel very different when there are numerous demands on it.

I also think many tips on productivity seem to be written by (and for) people who are able to get a full night’s rest whenever they choose, have a cleaner or family on hand to help out, or just don’t have young, gorgeous but quite sticky mitts and faces to extricate from work clothes.

So, here’s some of the ways I make it work:

Consider what we’re saying yes to:

I was asked this question by a coach. What are you agreeing to and why? Do you want to be signed up for these things? For example, a lot of women who go on maternity leave end up taking up the slack when it comes to house-hold stuff because they are home. Their main role is supposed to be keeping the new baby alive and content and healing themselves. When they go back to work those tasks don’t seem to be divvied up again. This happened to me too, despite me being the one who works full-time. My only solution so far is to reduce what I have and only buy essential stuff. This makes cleaning and tidying easier.

One thing I have said yes to is walking across campus for meetings. I like to keep this even though it may seem inefficient. It gets me away from the computer and outside for my daily Vitamin D. It also reminds anyone who sees me that I still exist beyond email!

Consider what we’re saying no to:

By saying yes to some things, we are automatically saying no to others. By being conscious of the reasons we are saying no we can do so calmly and without guilt. I’ve been saying no to some things recently. Even though I’d like to do them, they don’t quite add enough value to be worth giving up other stuff I want to do. I know I just don’t have the capacity to take on ‘all the things’ and wouldn’t do the job well. It’s good to keep pushing at the edges (that’s where the interesting stuff happens) but not get to the point where we can’t cope.

Chunking (and protecting) time:

On very busy days I will schedule all my meetings back to back in a centrally located space. It’s halfway located between my office and theirs so shows compromise. If people are late they get less time. If they need more they will then need to make another appointment – currently I don’t have a limit on these but this may change in future. It means I don’t offer an extra well-meaning ten minutes for someone who’s very late. I also chunk marking, email and writing up observation forms.

Using liminalities of time: 

Conversely, there’s always time in between meetings. Time where people have failed to show up. Time in between appointments. I keep a book, a notepad and my phonecharger on me at all times so I can always make the most of those precious few minutes. I don’t start big tasks here or ones that require too much concentration, like marking, but I might start planning something which I can pick up later or answer a few emails. 

Being aware of and using energy wisely: 

Many productivity gurus will say get up at 5am. They'll say use this time to journal, meditate and go for a run. When you don’t know when the kids will wake up and have no-one to watch them while you go for a shower (never mind a run) this can be tricky. I’m generally up at 5.45am every morning (not out of choice) and still get woken up several times through the night (this isn’t as frequent as it used to be) so sleep is a BIG priority. I am also at my most creative and productive in the mornings. As a result, where possible I schedule my teaching, training, planning and writing for then. I aim to have my meetings in the afternoon. I never skip meals as I know this wrecks my energy levels. I can't do large bouts of exercise without being interrupted but can just about do ten minutes of yoga or HIIT with the children and cat climbing on me and joining in - this keeps my energy and sanity levels okay-ish.

Being present with my children

Evenings and weekends are for my children. They are young and need, nay, demand my attention! I’m happy to give it to them. While I still check my phone occasionally to avoid any nasty surprises come Monday morning, I rarely answer email then. This is the time when I take us all to the woods which I find benefits us all. When they’ve gone to sleep, I have about two hours to have dinner then choose to either blog, do my yoga course, plan my coaching business or read. Or just go to bed.

What are your tips and tricks? What are you saying yes and no to? Where are you using your energy? Leave a comment below. 

What are you proud of?

When people ask me what I’m proud of I usually think of how I’ve made others think and feel. I reflect on my coaching and teaching all the time – how can I improve it; what went right/wrong etc. When it comes to life events I don’t tend to celebrate but then I try not to ruminate either – it’s a protective mechanism. Inspired by a recent post I read, I started making a list:

• Getting into university despite those close to me saying I shouldn't and being homeless when taking my A Levels. I tanked my A Levels which my parents said they were happy about as it would ‘show me’ but the uni let me in anyway! 
• Moving to London from Yorkshire (yes it was to follow a boy but I still made the move ‘down south’ which I’d been warned about)
• I completed my Masters in my 20s when working full-time, suffering PTSD and severe depression while also being a carer for the boy (now husband).
• Being awarded an all-expenses paid trip to a conference in Chicago because of my work achievements. I found out on the same day I was offered a new job.
• Being named a Lis-Network Rising Star
• Being nominated for a student-led teaching award despite not being a year into my new role
• Presenting at two conferences on compassion and customer service while suffering morning sickness
• Presenting a talk about compassion for our colleagues and students on the big stage at Internet Librarian International while heavily pregnant – I teetered a bit too close to the edge 
• Passing my driving test at the third attempt when eight month’s pregnant (it was a busy year)
• Breastfeeding my two little ones, despite working full-time
• Starting a new job two weeks before going on maternity leave
• Receiving my coaching qualification

These all required bravery and resilience yet I’d forgotten some of them. So I’m partly writing this post as a reminder to myself that I am enough, but also to you. When you’re going through a tough patch it can be helpful to look back and think how you’ve done it all before.

Chicago!

What are you proud of?

Being vulnerable. Being seen.

Brené Brown's talk on Netflix is proving incredibly popular in the online circles I visit. I finally got round to watching it this weekend. In it, she talks about being 'seen' and about having the courage to be vulnerable enough to let this happen. She's also very funny.

I want to tell you about my recent adventure in West Wales and how I inadvertently put this into practice.

A family get-together

I've recently returned from a big family get together in West Wales. This may sound like a lovely event; however, I was quite nervous about it. It is a long drive from where I live and, with a pre-schooler and toddler in the car, it wasn't going to be easy. It was with family I knew very little of - they are relatives on my mother-in-law's side with whom she has lost contact over the years. They're also mainly French (I know some German and Spanish but my French is scratchy). I'm an introvert at the best of times so being 'on' for a full week with no let up sounded exhausting.

I prepared myself by:

• fitting in 5 minutes of Duolingo French every night for six months. This meant I could understand the gist of conversations
• picking out elements that I intended to enjoy (the beautiful scenery, the novelty of seeing somewhere new)
• deciding not to be 'on' but just be myself

Reader, it was actually really nice. Yes, there was screaming. No, it wasn't me. And it wasn't always my children either! Mine actually slept for a decent amount of time

We celebrated two birthdays while we were there, mine included. These brought everyone together with cakes, candles, and lots of wine. I didn't try to achieve anything except have fun with my children. I didn't go with too many expectations, I didn't put my reserves up and I possibly cried a bit too often (I blame the lack of sleep). I had some lovely, thoughtful, conversations with interesting individuals. People were attentive and kind. And for the first time, in a long time, I felt seen.

I hadn't quite realised how special this feeling is. I provide this experience with people I coach and people who I help in their academic practice at work. I am attentive and they often cry. Being on the receiving end (and seeing it encapsulated in Brené's show) made me realise just how important it is to be really, truly noticed - even if just for a brief moment - before we go back to our normal, everyday lives.

A few other things I've been up to:

Coaching supervision - learning about set-up meetings. In our coaching community the set-up meeting involves both the person being coached and their line manager so conversation requires handling with care.

Academic Practice - Mainly marking portfolios and attending various panel meetings. Arranging conversations with those who require extra support to pass. Organising, planning and teaching an Introduction to Teaching day for our Demonstrators and Graduate Teaching Assistants in the Engineering Departments.

Reading - I'm currently halfway through each of these:

• The Courage to Teach by Parker. J. Palmer - a thoughtful book about how, as we learn about our teaching identity, we can discover techniques which strengthen and reveal who we are rather than using 'tips and tricks' to hide behind
• Soulful Simplicity by Courtney Carver - a beautiful book, inside and out, which focuses on simplifying aspects of our lives to invite more space and connection in
• Gut by Giulia Enders - my eldest was born with neonatal bacterial meningitis and needed antibiotics for the first 12 days of his life. This book outlines to a small extent what the impact of this might be and how I could potentially rectify some of it.

Does this post resonate with you? Have you seen Brené's show?Have you been 'seen' or do you pull up the barriers?

*this post contains affiliate links which helps my family and I to pursue our dreams. I only link to items I know and have used/read.

Five benefits of coaching: for the workplace

At my work, we recently had a visit from the Career Mum where she extolled the virtues of coaching and mentoring. My workplace has invested in training eleven new coaches to join the ten it has already has to form a coaching community to benefit its staff. Institutions as we know don’t often put their money where their mouth is so it’s a pleasant surprise to see this happen.

There are numerous blogs, articles and websites about how coaching can benefit the individual to gain clarity, find their purpose and create a plan to reach their goals; however, when writing my assignments for my coaching qualification I didn’t find as much aimed at institutions. Those who hold the purse-strings in organisations can make a big difference to people’s lives through the choices they make so, based on the Institute of Leadership and Management’s (ILM) recent White Paper, Cracking Coaching: Five ways to make an impact at work, here are a few reasons why companies should invest in coaching communities:

1. Coaching increases engagement and productivity:

According to the ILM’s Whitepaper, coaching helps increase engagement and boost productivity, especially in new joiners and those returning to work. It states workers who experience coaching have ‘improved confidence, performance and productivity’ all which improve life for the individual. In turn, reduced sickness, absence and lateness rates boosts the organisation's performance as a whole.

2. Coaching can reduce uncertainty:

Technology increase and uncertainty regarding the political landscape means individuals must learn to adapt and be flexible so they can manage change effectively and with the least amount of mental pain as possible. They may find their roles have changed or disappeared altogether; however, according to the ILM, ‘four fifths (79%) of those surveyed believe coaching can help teams when adopting new technology and different ways of working’. As a result, coaching can help to improve the resilience of individuals. Additionally, the organisation can spend fewer resources on training people to fill the skills gaps created by such changes.

3. Coaching can improve confidence and reduce conflict:

‘58% said they felt more confident after coaching’. The ILM states ‘Coaching makes individuals feel valued and promotes a more inclusive culture within the organisation’. This should mean a reduction in stress and an increase in motivation and self-esteem. There is an argument to suggest coaching could help reduce conflict as staff become more open and solution-focussed – leading to fewer disciplinary issues.

4. Coaching can ease the transition back to work:

The report argues a drop in ‘morale, engagement and motivation’ will lead to a reduction in productivity for the organisation. This is especially pertinent for those undergoing a transition back to work, either moving into a new role or returning from parental or long-term sick leave. Coaching would reduce the amount of lost productivity as they ‘find their feet’ and a resulting low attrition rate would mean fewer costly recruitment processes.

5. Coaching can help future leaders:

Coaching can have a positive effect on the confidence of those leading or managing others, with ‘67% of those surveyed agree coaching would make them feel good about managing others’. It promotes the idea that the organisation is investing in its employees which would encourage employees to stay. A significant majority (84%) of leaders reported ‘coaching would have helped them in periods when they struggled to manage an individual’.

If you’ve ever received, or would like to receive, coaching at work, I’d love to hear about your experiences. What impact did it have on you and your work or home life?

Using my voice to promote positive mental health.

One in four students are suffering from mental health problems. 64% of PhD candidates are feeling lonely at work. Academic staff feeling overworked is nothing new. This can either seem like an overwhelming problem or, even worse, just the price people are expected to pay for having the privilege of working or studying in academia.

As this year’s University Mental Health Day is all about the power of using your voice, I’d like to tell you about two things I’ve been doing to use mine to help others...

Coaching:

Firstly, I’ve been using my voice to ask questions as part of my coaching practice. I have been practicing my coaching skills on university staff who for various reasons are finding stress in their lives ranging from communication problems and procrastination around deadlines to frustrations with a lack of work-life balance. Throughout the course, I have been learning about the different models and tools I can use to help. These have included: visualising what success might look like, writing meaningful and emotion-laden goals utilising Carol Wilson’s EXACT model, and encouraging the understanding of other’s perspectives via the 51% rule and Perceptual Positioning. By training to be part of the University’s coaching community I get to keep learning, which is something I always love doing, staff achieve progress towards their chosen goal and the University gets happier employees. It’s a win for everyone! 

Mindfulness:

Secondly, I have recently become involved in the University’s wellbeing group again (I took a break from it due to maternity leave). It is a group of volunteers who provide meditation and mindfulness practices – drawing on each individual’s experience with yoga, tai chi, Qigong, Hindu or Buddhist teachings once a week, every Wednesday 12noon-12.30 in the Meeting House (a multi-faith and none space on campus). Towards the end of last month, I led a session in Mindfulness. Mindfulness has been proven to reduce stress and has become quite popular over the last few years.

There were 15 people in attendance: a mixture of staff and students, male and female with a range of different faiths and nationalities. I started with a brief breathing exercise to encourage people to settle down and feel calm. This was from a book called Happy Teacher’s Change the World which I refer to regularly in my role as an Academic Practice lecturer. I then spent the majority of the 30 minutes going through a detailed body scan taken from Jon Kabatt-Zinn’s book – Wherever you go, there you are.

Towards the end I remembered why I enjoyed doing these sessions so much – the participants seemed so calm and still and this was verified by the comments they made afterwards. We finished with a Loving Kindness meditation which encourages us to put aside our inner judgmental voice and be kind to ourselves, our friends, and those who we may not hold so dearly.

Each week these sessions change in teacher and content and it is a nice space to take time out for one’s self, to regroup and to connect with others in the same environment without having to have a conversation. 

There is increasing evidence of the success coaching in an educational setting can bring and universities are increasing their provision of wellbeing activities. While they won’t solve all life’s ills (or problems related to decreasing budgets, bureaucracy and restructures), they can certainly help towards dealing with them. I’d strongly recommend seeking them out.

Related posts:

• Mindfulness workshops in higher education


• Using yoga and mindfulness to improve student employability

For further help with looking after mental health as a student - https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/student-mental-health/

Over to you! I’d love to know what you do to promote good mental health. Leave a comment below.

Reflecting and renewing...slowly (and dryly).

Happy New Year, everybody! I hope it's not too late to say that!

I find January an odd month - a time for reflection, often full of resolutions to do better, with an urgent appeal from all around us to stop doing this, start doing that and do it all right this minute. This is juxtaposed with it being winter - cold, wet, and the time for hibernation. I generally have a slow and steady approach at this time of year. From the Winter Solstice celebrations on 22nd December, the days slowly become lighter and this is how I like to approach the forthcoming seasons too - gradually.

As I work in the education sector I feel I get several times to reflect and renew throughout the year, spring being one and then the start of the new academic year in September so there is no rush to get everything done at once...

What I've been up to this month:

Coaching:

The second module is over. My first and second learning log have been completed and handed in, as has my first assignment. My coaching practice is well underway. I've coached six times now, which is obviously not much at all, but with each hour I put in I am learning more. It's also really helping my conversations with the new staff at the University who are taking the Post-Graduate Certificate in Academic Practice (PgCAP).

Academic Practice:

Some teaching, but mainly meetings, marking and more marking. I am currently marking PgCAP portfolios and with many of them it feels such an absolute privilege. The amount of effort many of the new staff have put in, the way they have engaged and the level of personal detail they have included about what fires them up about teaching is lovely to read.

Dry January:

I don't normally bother with these types of challenges as I don't drink that much - a couple of glasses of wine at the weekend - but I thought I'd give it a go. While it's had the opposite effect to my waistline that I hoped for (as I've reached for the chocolate as an alternative) I do get through the sleepless nights with my children a little easier.

What I've been reading:

Questioning Vygotsky's legacy? Edited by Anton Yasnitsky
Muse by Jesse Burton of The Miniatiarist fame
Psychologies magazine - I treated myself to the Black Friday subscription deal and it's very much the gift that keeps on giving with added Facebook groups and life coaching workshops
Performance Coaching Carol Wilson
Cheaters on Twitter: an analysis of engagement approaches of contract cheating services
Hancock, J (2018) 'Engaging with Liminalities and Combating Toxicity: A Compassionate Approach to Developing Professional Identities for PhD Students Who Teach' Journal of perspectives in applied academic practice, 6 (3)

Recommended site:

The Pool - I absolutely love this. I've been signed up to the Editor's Circle too which for £3 gets you freebies and an extra letter from the editor (although sadly this has now just stopped). I like how the daily updates tell you roughly how long the article will take to engage with - useful for when you're sat down to feed the baby or have a few moments while waiting for someone to arrive for a meeting :) And that it's a mixture of serious stuff and superficial shopping/beauty stuff too.


Facebook groups - Having a full-time job and a young family with no support network means I don't have the opportunity to talk to anyone outside of these environments. I've recently joined a few groups in Facebook and it has been nice to be able to dip in occasionally, get advice if needed and give support if I can help. It keeps me from being in my own little bubble too much.


How's your January looking so far?

Mindfulness workshops in higher education

I’ve been involved in some mindfulness workshops at work recently and, as several people have expressed an interest and because it's Mental Health Awareness Week, I thought I would blog about them.

Some context

I’d been very stressed: I’d recently returned from a short maternity leave, too many deadlines and too little sleep had led to a small car accident, and I knew that I had to find some time for self-care or I was going to combust. My workplace has a well-being programme which includes meditation, mindfulness and relaxation. I’ve been interested in this area for quite a few years, having received mindfulness-based CBT for PTSD in the past, taught customer service/mindfulness sessions as part of staff-development at a previous workplace, as well as being a keen (amateur) yogi. I decided to pay them a visit.

How I got involved

The classes were, and still are, great and really help me cope with the tantrums and negativity, and not just those from the little one. One of the team was leaving and, knowing some of my background, I was asked by the organiser if I wanted to step in. I jumped at the opportunity – it would be a chance to pass on some of what I’d learned and hopefully help them benefit in the same way I had.

What I do

By the end of the academic term, I will have delivered three workshops. They are on mindfulness and how it can be used in everyday situations. At several of the workshops I have attended I’d noted that people say this was their ‘me time’ and their time away from the stress of the office or studies. As it’s not always possible to attend workshops I wanted to see if there was a way I could help people carry their practice with them.

The workshops last thirty minutes and are attended by students and staff. The numbers can vary between five and twenty. I’ve themed my three workshops into Eating, Noticing the Environment, and Communication. Each one includes two guided activities, a discussion after each one, followed by some optional homework.

Eating

As this was my first one, I explained my background and that I am very much a learner as is everyone else. The first exercise was quite a well-known one and can be found easily online. It features a raisin and participants are guided to view it as if for the first time, taking time to really see and feel the shapes and textures , to smell it and, finally, to taste it. The second was very similar and featured dark chocolate.

Flowers for the 'noticing' meditation exercise

Noticing

This theme was about noticing what’s happening both internally and externally to ourselves. The first exercise, focused on awareness and the labelling of thoughts. Awareness is not the same as thought – it’s more like a vessel which can hold and contain our thinking, helping us to see our thoughts. Jon Kabat- Zinn, founder of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction course, describes it as a soup pot holding all the chopped vegetables. The second exercise was designed to connect us that little bit more with the natural environment and involved the flowers in the picture above – each person chose one and focused on the texture, the colours and the smell.

Communication

The next workshop will focus on observing rather than being controlled by our emotions, especially when communicating with others. They are not about self-censorship but instead focus on using emotional intelligence and choosing the most appropriate response for the situation. The exercises will concentrate on how to listen and speak with compassion, kindness and awareness in a bid to transform and strengthen our relationships.

What next?

So far the feedback has been great and participants have told me they have benefited. I don't know yet whether I'll be asked back next academic term; however, it's been an enlightening and interesting experience and I feel like I've learned a lot too. I'm currently reading The Mindful Librarian by Richard Moniz and am looking forward to finding out how I can combine this with teaching in higher education.

Using yoga and mindfulness to improve student employability.

I like doing yoga. I don't do it nearly enough and when I do practise it I find it calms my mind, stretches out my tight limbs and lowers my stressed shoulders. So I was thrilled to find out I had won tickets to the Om Yoga Show last September.

The conference was a mix of practical sessions, suppliers selling their wares, and lectures. A lecture I found particularly interesting was led by an organisation called Teenyoga which, as its name suggests, was about yoga for teenagers. TeenYoga works with the Institute of Psychological Sciences at Leeds University to develop programmes for schools based on mindfulness and yoga. 

Teenagers, we were told, are increasingly stressed; they worry about money, death of loved ones, and body issues. The UK is no longer bottom of Unicef's list of developed countries for children's well-being but is still only 16th. Obesity levels have has doubled and alcohol levels among teenagers are high. Yoga can appeal as there is an emphasis on safety and it is seen as an easier form of exercise to take part in. Importantly, it isn't competitive. It also contains an element of risk which children need as part of growing up and testing boundaries.

Found on Flickrcc.net

I spent several years in Further Education libraries and even though I am now in Higher Education, students still seem to be dealing with the same issues of stress, anxiety and anger. At a few of the institutions I've worked in the Library has been deemed a 'safe place' for students to go even when they have no work to do, presumably because the Library is staffed, is generally warm, and students are treated fairly as the CILIP Ethics Principles states all users should be.

Librarians spend a lot of time teaching students how to be critical, how to analyse and how to search effectively. I'm not suggesting we all add yoga and mindfulness classes to our skill-sets too but I found it interesting to hear how taking part in them improved students decision-making skills, increased their self-esteem, and developed their emotional resilience. These skills and attributes are necessary in the workplace and employability is currently very high on the agenda in the education sector. If organisations like the Ministry of Defence can see the benefits of it for their staff then perhaps it's not the strangest idea.

2013: Reflections and the year ahead

'Tis the season to reflect on the year gone past and 2013 will be no exception. Previous years available are 2011 and 2012. I haven't been writing annual reflections for very long (just the last two years - as you can see!) but I find them very helpful in highlighting where all my time has gone...

This time last year I was hoping to remain active in the library and information profession beyond just doing my day job and to stay motivated and committed enough to take up opportunities when they arose. I was concerned about my working future, as I was on a maternity contract, and I had my fingers crossed that I would have a calm, peaceful and enjoyable year.

Hmm...

Well it wasn't particularly calm nor was it particularly peaceful, although some bits were enjoyable. I stayed involved with the ARLG London and south east committee and halfway through the year become the web editor. This meant setting up the committee's online pages; I'd never done this before so it was a good opportunity to learn something new. I was also involved in the organisation of a few events for this committee as well as the Big Data conference for the London Information and Knowledge Exchange. This taught me to have a massive amount of respect for people who do organise events and has helped me recognise that I really don't like doing it! I'd much rather be attending and writing them up.

Taking part in these activities has meant that I've not had lots of time for the SLA Europe's committee roles and though I've helped out where I can with membership and event admin I do feel a little guilty. My working future is still in a state of flux although my contract has been extended, which is great. I was also encouraged to go for promotion which, although was unsuccessful, certainly taught me a few things about myself. Resulting time and money pressures meant that I only dipped in and out of the Library Leadership Reading Group but through it I became involved in a Lean-In Circle which has introduced me to some amazing women and a great support network.

I started 2013 intending to spend more of my time on life instead of solely on work and while this started well  - I got a distinction in my beginner's Spanish class, discovered RunKeeper and started running more regularly, read the Man Booker long list, started driving lessons, and booked a rare holiday weekend, it quickly became clear that these things weren't becoming well-established. Fear and a lack of money got in the way of driving and work commitments meant I had to quit the Spanish lessons. For someone who hates leaving things unfinished, this wasn't a great feeling. I've also been writing fewer book reviews and blog posts which is something I hope to rectify in 2014.

Some highlights of 2013:

From l-r: weekend away; shortlisted for nominated student award; free tickets to om yoga & gratuitous cat picture, minus ears

So for next year;

I'd like to go to some of the big conferences I've not had chance to go to yet - LILAC, Umbrella and ARLG. While attending conferences wipes me out, especially as usually I get to go because I've helped organise them, I do find them motivating and usually get a lot out of them. I've already made a start on this resolution as I've been accepted to speak, with a colleague, at ARLG.

All being well, I will be moving house in the next few months and I will have a garden - with an apple tree! I am really looking forward to growing vegetables, like you would never believe. I love being outside, sticking my hands in the soil, and listening to the birds sing. This is going to be outside of London so may have some impact on my attendance at London based events. Only time will tell.

I'm going to continue with running and yoga as it keeps my emotional, mental, and physical health in check. Once I've polished off the remaining Christmas mince pies, that is. If I'm feeling brave I may even enter a race. One highlight of 2013 was winning tickets to the Om Yoga show . It renewed my enthusiasm for the practice and when I was there I attended a lecture on using yoga in education. This has started me thinking about ways in which I can combine all the things I like doing.

Once I've passed my driving test and refreshed my Spanish knowledge, I want to have a little exploration of the FutureLearn and Coursera MOOCs. I've heard good things about them and I'm a big fan of lifelong learning as well as professional development. I'm tempted to refresh my knowledge of mythology or children's literature but am also intrigued by the psychology courses.

I've learned not to get too hung up on the schemes which don't work out as there's usually a decent reason for it and life has a habit of getting in the way of strict plans anyway. So, with that in mind,  I hope that mine and everyone else's plans, hopes and dreams for 2014 work out even if it turns out to be something quite different than what is expected. Happy New Year.

Sharing, building & being present at Internet Librarian International

The Internet Librarian International conference is a place to share practical ideas and approaches to issues in the library and information sector. It is a place where people are not afraid to stand up and say "I did this and it didn't work". It was the first time I had attended this conference as its cost is far beyond my means and having been lucky enough to take an SLA Europe colleague's place who couldn't make it I was determined to get the most out of it.

After the keynote sessions, the conference was split into themed 'streams' which were jam-packed with speakers with most of them getting about 20 minutes each including time for questions. This meant it was very fast-paced and lots of notes were written and tweets tweeted, until I started running out of battery that is. I'm not going to go through every single session I attended at the two-day conference but just pick out some of the highlights and overall themes.

Relationship building

Relationship building cropped up as a theme time and time again throughout the conference. It started with the keynote on the first day by Peter Morville, President of Semantic Studios and author of a number of information architecture titles. Amongst many other topics, he spoke about Moocs, the Khan Academy, flipped classrooms and iPads in Ethiopia all being perceived as magic bullets yet aren't because the relationships between educationalists and technologists don't exist. He believes librarians can be the links that bring these two disparate groups together.

Ben Showers, Programme Manager at  JISC, also spoke about Moocs but in the context of them being a wake-up call to librarians to seriously consider how they engage with users online. He stressed the urgent need to better understand the behaviours and motivations of our users. In another session Paula Evans and Heather Lincoln, business librarians from Imperial College London, spoke of how maintaining relationships with course administrators meant they had 100% of module reading lists - something of a perennial problem for academic librarians.  Dr. Starr Hoffman, an academic librarian, emphasised that research is now even more of a conversation than it ever was  - the old style of academic conversing via academic conferences and print moving towards blogs and open access.

Relationship building and creating conversations, in my opinion, is becoming increasingly important for the library profession. This is generally what we are good at yet too often I see cliques and silos being created within departments and sectors. Although this is common when people feel threatened it doesn't help in the long term. Creating, strengthening and maintaining relationships between library staff, institutional staff, and users is crucial for identifying needs, putting us in a strong position to provide impact, and to remain relevant. The more relevant you are to the institution the more valuable you will be.

Phil Bradley taking part in a 'Search Slam' with Marydee Ojala (not pictured). I got lots of new tips for teaching students here.

Thinking strategically

Over the two days there was a lot of emphasis placed on behaving strategically, aligning your library's objectives to those of your institution, and paying careful attention to why things are done rather than just what is done. Karin Westerberg, in her session on change in academia, referred to using SWOT analyses and Gartner's hype cycles to decide which technologies to focus on. Dr. Staff Hoffman suggested analysing the institution's strategic plan to work out where librarians can offer support and build on what is already offered. She also emphasised the importance of being selective - focusing on strengths and not trying to do everything.

Ken Chad told us to start with our institution's strategic plans and look at what needed to be done, breaking problems users face into categories rather than the users themselves, e.g. undergraduates, postgraduates etc. Meanwhile, Elisabet Brynge, Ulla Solsmo and Ulf Holke from three separate Swedish public libraries spoke about using virtual conference technology in their book groups followed by Willie Miller and William Orme from IUPUI who outlined how they had used YouTube video games to educate users about library resources - both sets of speakers emphasising the need to focus on outcomes and to have a clear understanding of why projects are being undertaken.

It can be easy to forget why you do what you do sometimes, especially if you have been doing the same job for a long time. Sometimes a lovely comment from a student can bring it to the forefront of your brain, other times it can be attending a conference like this one. Creating annual reports, filling in Matrix forms and ticking boxes off the Customer Service Excellence Standard can all seem frustrating and tiresome but they often provide us with the opportunity to take a step back and really focus on the overall strategic objectives.


Being present

When I say being present I mean this in two different ways. The first way is being visible to others. Peter Morville advocated being where your users are, providing resources at the point of need, having a single search box and locating this in as many places as possible. Where I work we have Summon, a single search box, and we integrate this into our online library guides, some VLE courses and, of course, the Library homepage. We don't have the statistics yet to find out where users are searching most so it may be quite interesting to see the results.

Aase Andreasen from Politiken and Andy Tattersall and Claire Beecroft from the University of Sheffield discussed getting out there and being physically present. What resonated with me most though was Joe Tree, Blipfoto founder's keynote speech on how his creation helps people be present in their minds. His main argument was that while people thoughtlessly post thousands of pictures they are less present than those who were new to photography and who carefully annotated their memories. As a fan of yoga and using mindfulness in life and in the workplace I was very pleased with the connections this made between the various aspects of my life.

Final conclusions

I really enjoyed this conference and got a lot out if it and there are still lots of hints and tips and links I hope to follow up in the future. While I find constantly being 'on' during conferences - networking, chatting to vendors etc exhausting, I generally leave feeling motivated and pleased that I'm still doing the day job and this was no exception. I'll leave you with one of my first tweets from the conference.